Conventionally, an editing apparatus is constituted so as to reproduce video and audio signals recorded in a video tape, by controlling a video tape recorder in accordance with operations by an operator and to display video on a display or output audio through a speaker in accordance with the reproduced video and audio signals.
Therefore, in this type of the editing apparatus, an operator designates and enters a plurality of desired portions of video displayed on a display and a plurality of desired portions of audio output through a speaker, confirming the video and audio, so that an editing list can be created which specifies an editing sequence showing how these registered video and audio (hereinafter, referred to as clip) are connected to each other to obtain edited video and edited audio.
However, an editing apparatus (hereafter, referred to as a nonlinear editing apparatus) is recently proposed which makes it possible to create an editing list by temporarily capturing video and audio signals of a desired clip recorded on a video tape, into a hard disk and using the video and audio signals taken in the hard disk.
The above type of the nonlinear editing apparatus is normally provided with various functions using the high-speed accessibility and random accessibility of a hard disk, so that an operator can easily and quickly create an editing list by using these functions.
The nonlinear editing apparatus having the above structure makes it possible to generate edited video and edited audio by executing an edition processing using video and audio signals taken in a hard disk in accordance with the editing list.
Therefore, in the case of the nonlinear editing apparatus, video and audio signals of a clip used for the created editing list cannot be erased before the edition processing according to the editing list is completed.
Therefore, in the case of the nonlinear editing apparatus having the above structure, to record video and audio signals of a desired clip exceeding the capacity of a hard disk, it is necessary to select video and audio signals of a clip not used for an editing list and erase the signals from the hard disk.
However, a conventional nonlinear editing apparatus has problems in use that it is difficult to easily decide whether a clip taken in a hard disk is used for an editing list and thereby, it is bother in erasing the video and audio signals of the unnecessary clip from the hard disk.